The Deepest Lie
by T1gerCat
Summary: In the end, there can only be one Alison DiLaurentis.
1. Parents think they know best

The Deepest Lie

**A/N**: If only the show/books belonged to me. Alas they don't. All recognizable scenes belong to their respective authors.

Quick who is who just to keep it straight.

**Alison** = the one at the Preserve = The sane one.

**Courtney **= The one with living with the parents in Rosewood = The one who's friends with the Liars = Fake-Alison = The one who's mentally ill.

Timeline

**Alison** is fifteen years old. Just has been switched with her sister Courtney. So it's pre-all books.

**Bella** is eighteen years old. New Moon, a month after her birthday

Chapter 1- Parents think they know best

"I can't do this anymore Renee. It's been a month and she's still staring out the window"

"I don't want to do this, charlie. Think about it! She's out baby"

"she is. and that's why it's up to us to help her"

the two sat at the table together side by side deep in thought. Neither was a true parent figure and it showed even though they both loved their daughter.

"Okay"

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

"I'm Ali! I'm Ali"

The blond girl screamed as her parents half put, half tossed her in the black family car and drove away. Alison realized she had lost and resorted to tears.

She had lost by her stupid, schizophrenic sister.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Bella felt her body move but she wasn't aware of commanding it to do so. All she knew was that she was moving. She had lost him and now she would never find him again.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Alison was lying in the bed. Tears were still streaking down her cheeks but she had given up. The drugs in her body were too many, too strong, and too heavy to fight.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Bella blinked slowly. A faraway voice was reaching her ears. It was soft and slow and begged her to reply back. They kept speaking and as much Bella wanted she couldn't shut them out.

She forced her eyes to move from the forks postcard in her hand to the woman sitting across from her blinking slowly again. The woman had oily red hair with black roots had a lab coat on like the ones used in her old science class kept talking.

Eighteen year old Bella Swan chose to ignore the therapist.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

"How do you like your new room Courtney?"

The therapist said. Her nametag read "Colleen" No last name. The girl 'Courtney' glared at the woman.

"My name is. not. Courtney. I'm Alison and that schizo bitch pretends to be me!"

The doctor simply shook her head pitying at the girl and nodded. Silently a man had grabbed the patient, stuck a long needle in her throat and carried the unconscious girl out.

"Put her with the catatonic. Maybe they'll balance each other out"


	2. Wake me up before you go go

Chapter 2 - Wake me up before you go go

'Courtney' was royally pissed off. She was in another room, her left hand attached to the bed's metal railing and someone was screaming. Again. Her new roommate was either staring blankly at a wall or screaming or whispering.

She grimaced looking around. Who did she have to please to bring a little life in this place? It had been a whole month since her twin sister had managed to switch places with her and no one in this forsaken place would listen to her!

"Are you alright?"

'Courtney' asked aloud. her roommate was finally quiet again but this time she wasn't staring at the wall. The older girl sat up gasping, seemingly unable to breathe, her eyes bloodshot.

The girl blinked a few times before managing to get her breathing under control and looked around suddenly afraid.

Where was she?

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

"I don't want you. I don't want you. I don't want you. I don't want you."

Kept repeating in Bella's head as she slept. That combined with a female voice that kept yapping about some 'fucking Alison' and murder forced her to wake up with a scream.

Only she wasn't screaming because of her nightmare. She had no idea where she was. The room was dark. It had two queen-size beds, two desks, two walk-in closets, and a big picture window that overlooked the front drive. The only other occupant was a blond girl. Bella blinked again.

"whe.."

Her throat was dry. The cuffed girl pointed to a plastic water pitcher and a pile of plastic cups on the small table between their beds. Bella nodded her thanks and with trembling, not exactly functioning hands poured her some water and drank it thirsty.

"Where am I?"

She asked the girl.

"The Preserve of Addison Stevens"

"And that is?"

"Mental house. Supposedly a place to develop effective coping skills and build self esteem to troubled youths like us"

The blond girl spat as if she was reading if from a pamphlet. Both girls felt like hurling.

"Why am I here? Where is here? Who are you?"

"No idea, probably because you've been staring at a wall for a month, Delaware, Alison"

Courtney replied. Bella blinked feeling headache being born behind her eyes. She exhaled slowly and forcefully.

"I'm Bella"

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

The moment Bella became responsive her therapist was all over her asking all sorts questions and refusing to answer any of Bella's. That resulted to the brown haired girl to clamp her mouth shut and only stare at the woman.

After fifteen minutes, afraid she might send the girl back to muteness, the therapist sighed.

"You were brought in by your parents two months ago. You were catatonic and unresponsive. We had to put an IV to give you fluids"

The therapist explained and went on to explain the protocol at the facility now that Bella was responsive.

"My name is Colleen and I will be your therapist. I want us to be friends and we will meet anywhere from a few times a week to once a day. Breakfast is at nine, lunch at noon, and dinner at six. You're free to do what you wish for the rest of the day. It will be good for you to meet and mingle with the other residents — they are all very nice. Our mantra here is 'no outside influences.' We only allow phone calls between four and five P.M. on Sundays. We don't allow you to surf the Internet or read the paper, and we don't allow live TV. We do have an extensive selection of DVDs for you to choose from. And lots of books and board games!"

Colleen said with a rehearsed smile

"I want to talk to my parents"

Bella declared. She was sure she could wing Renée out of this madness but the therapist shook her head.

"It's too early. When you show me some progress you will talk to your family"

Colleen bargained.

Bella walked out of the room.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Next day Courtney and Bella sat together in the cafeteria. The cafeteria was a large, square room with honey-colored wood floors, small farm tables, a glossy black Steinway grand piano off to one side, and a wall of windows that looked out onto the shimmering meadow. There were textured, abstract paintings on the walls and gray velvet curtains on the windows. On a table near the back were two shiny, expensive-looking cappuccino makers, a long, stainless-steel cooler full of every kind of soda imaginable, and platters upon platters of divine-looking chocolate cakes, lemon meringue pies, and toffee-fudge brownies

"What's wrong?"

Bella's roommate asked seeing her flinch and wrap an arm around herself. Bella shook her head

"Ed... My boyfriend had a piano; he'd play for hours just for me"

She stammered before forcing the subject out of her mind and stuffing a steamed piece of veggie in her mouth. Then she looked up at the blond girl with the sky blue eyes and the heart shaped face.

"Why are you here?"

The girl's pretty mouth twisted in a silent snarl.

"I have a twin sister and she's crazy. She tried to kill me one few many times and my parents locked her up. Then they deemed she was sane enough to come home for the weekend and when it was time for her to leave she convinced them she's me. And they sent me away. That was six months ago"

She spat annoyed. Bella winced.

"That sucks. How are you gonna get out?"

"Beats me. No one believes me"

The two sat quiet eating their lunch for a while. Bella's eyes flickered to the piano before the answer formed in her eyes.

"Convince them you're cured"

"What?"

The blue eyes seemed ready to fall off their sockets

"Convince them you're your sister"

"Are you crazy? I'm nothing like the schizo!"

Bella rolled her deep brown eyes

"If they deem you sane enough they might send you home. It worked for your sister, didn't it?"


	3. The stages of freedom

Chapter 3 – The Stages of freedom

That was the turning day.

Courtney, or Alison as she insisted was her name, played the doctor's game. Having no idea how her sister acted she created a new personality filled with things she learned to like. She acted less bitchy than she normally would and was friendlier.

Bella on the other hand, knowing she'd never be allowed to leave if she didn't move on decided to fake it till she made it. She forced herself to talk to her therapist on their daily sessions doing her best to pretend that Edward was just another boy. Another human boy.

Alison and Bella grew close. Fifteen year old Alison began seeing Bella as a big sister unknowingly taking parts of the eighteen year old's personality.

Alison started to contemplate before acting letting the attention to the details the older girl had to imprint itself to her. In turn, Bella became more ambitious and self assured allowing Alison to teach her how to create opportunities instead of waiting for something to happen.

They vowed to leave this place. One way or another.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Alison and Bella sat at a round table in the Preserve at Addison-Stevens'cafe, with steaming lattes, homemade organic yogurt, and fresh fruit cups in front of them. They definitely had the best table in the place—not only was it the farthest one from the nurses' station, but it also gave them a prime view out the window of the hot groundskeeper, who was vigorously shoveling snow off the drive in a tight, long-sleeved thermal tee.

"I could so bite that"

Alison mused watching the groundskeeper. Bella snorted. In the six months since she had 'woken up' she had overcome the automatic flinch, choke, need to hug herself every time she saw the piano, read a book or someone made a vampire reference. She had admitted to herself that the Cullens had moved on and if they wanted to find her they could.

Instead the two went over their respective plans while doing what was acceptable at the Preserve. Spend hours at the gym, the spa, the salon, be nice, act sullen and in remorse with their therapists and, obviously, neither took their medication.

"You're so bad. He's my father's age!"

"Still yummy"

Alison claimed making Bella laugh.

"What time are your parents coming?"

Bella asked taking a sip of her drink. Alison pursed her lips

"About 3pm. they want Ali to meet me here"

She said widening her eyes like she was a three year old. Bella laughed and shook her head.

"Stick to the plan okay? It's your chance"

She smiled motherly at Alison. She had touched the topic of leaving with her therapist once or twice and the woman had told her that she wanted Bella to stay calm and herself for a bit longer. If all went well she'd leave at summer.

Summer was only three months away.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Alison shook her long waves smiling when they fell smoothly down her back. Nervously she applied another coat of clear pink gloss over her lips opting for Bella's 'less is more' ideas and scratched her legs with her slightly long nails.

"Cool it"

Bella snapped at her. Both girls' nerves were sky high. They had finished their lunches, went to Group Therapy Sunday and had just seen Ali's family's car enter the premises.

"Break a leg"

Bella whispered and hugged the younger girl before heading to the day room. She leaned against a wall there, pretending to take notes for an exercise she had to make with her eyes glued across the big room and to the family that had just entered it.

Bella loved the day room. It was big and bright with several large windows, threadbare couches pushed against the walls, and an old, blinking TV playing classic movies. Today's pick was Casablanca. There were also lots of tall bookcases full of books and board games. If she hadn't met Alison she'd be glued to one of the bookcases.

The father sat down heavily on one of the couches, the mother scolded the daughter and her eyes met with the brother. She smiled friendly and looked back down to her notebook missing the smile she got back.

"Dang, good looks run in the family"

She mused looking back up from underneath her lashes. The girl, Courtney or Fake-Alison, looked exactly like her roommate only she was less. Teensy bit less pretty, her hair was a shade darker and less shiny, her eyes not as big and expressive, her boobs a bit smelled with her waist a bit wider. She also had the habit a lot of people in the Preserve have. She kept fumbling with a bracelet she wore on her right wrist.

Then, almost as scripted, the door opened, and the original Alison walked into the room and walked to her parents with a smile and a hug. Fake-Alison pretended to observe her short nails and avoided the hug. Bella counted to twenty and walked to them hugging Alison.

"Court!"

"Hey, Bell,"

Alison said, slinging her arm around Bella's.

"Everyone, this is Bella, my roommate. And Bell, this is Jason, Mom and Dad, and my sister"

She looked squarely at Fake-Alison.

"Alison."

Bella smiled and turned her chocolate eyes to Fake-Ali.

"So you're the famous Alison. I've heard a lot about you."

Ali gave Bella a bitchy smile back.

"Don't believe everything you hear. I'm not nearly as wonderful as Courtney says"

"Oh, and Courtney does say you're wonderful"

Bella didn't even blink. Fake-Alison reminded her of Rosalie alot.

"But she's pretty awesome, too. We have alot of fun here. Tuesday's our standing spa day, isn't it, Court? And Thursday is yoga!"

"How nice!"

Mrs. DiLaurentis, who had the same blond hair as her children, clapped her hands. Ali squinted.

"You have a spa here? And yoga?"

She snapped annoyed

"Uh -huh"

Bella's smile was perfectly sane as she regarded the other girl.

"You're jealous, aren't you? I bet you want to be in here, too"

Bella's eyes gleamed as Fake-Alison flinched, a chill running up her spine, paling. It was obvious to the girl that her sister had told this Bella girl everything. And Bella clearly believed her. Seeing her message had been received, Bella stood and smiled to the family before extending her hand.

"Well, I'll let you guys catch up. It was great meeting you. Courtney just won't shut up about you"

She sauntered off, her jeans hanging low on her hips. Mrs. DiLaurentis set her soda on the coffee table.

"She seems... nice"

Alison smiled at her mother her eyes following Bella as she walked out of the room.

"Bell is great. I see her as my big sister"

She smiled broadly. She almost missed Jason's exclamation of Bella being hot but she didn't. Her eyes widened at the slight blush on her brother's cheeks. If she played her cards right she wouldn't have to lose her new friend once they broke free.

"So how are your classes?"

Mr. DiLaurentis asked. Every one at the Preserve had a private tutor who kept them on pace with their grade level. Alison chuckled.

"They're great Dad. Straight A's"

Fake-Ali flinched again. She had trouble keeping good grades AND keep up her friends and various boyfriends. Jason's eyes were still on the door Bella left

"Where are her parents?"

Ali sighed. Parents were a touchy subject with Bella.

"Non existent. They locked her up here in the fall because she was depressed over her breakup. She keeps asking to see them but they never show up"

The hate in her voice was crystal clear. She had only heard stories about them but it didn't stop her from hating them.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Bella's eyebrows lifted when Alison joined her in their room three hours later. Alison raised her thumb in a 'success' motion.

**Stage 1: Done!**

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

From that Friday on Alison's parents came by every month. Sometimes it was Mr. DiLaurentis, or Mrs. DiLaurentis pr Even Jason alone but someone did show up. They'd talk with Alison, invite Bella along for lunch and sometimes spend hours at the Day Room playing board games.

Fake-Alison never showed up again.

The differences between Alison and Courtney were becoming more and more noticeable and better yet Mr. and Mrs. DiLaurentis could tell them apart.

**Stage 2: Done!**

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

It was Monday on a hot June day that Bella was standing in the Day Room with her therapist.

"I know I was horrible but I wanted to thank you. Coming here was the best decision of my life"

She confided to her therapist and she meant it. Colleen may have never been loved by a creature like Edward but she had helped Bella to stop faking. She had actually moved on re-learning to love herself first.

"Thank you too. Remember I want to see you every week for June. Just to talk, no strings attached"

Colleen smiled as Bella nodded and watched proudly as Bella hugged Alison and walking to the hot air she got in a cab. The two girls had managed to heal each other as she hoped they'd do.

**Stage 3: Done!**

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

During the month of her forced visits to the Preserve Bella was busy. She had used her old fake ID to rent a motel room in Philadelphia right outside Rosewood and on a day no one was home she crept inside the DiLaurentis house to borrow enough of Fake-Alison's diaries. She handed those to the real Alison letting her acquaint herself to her twin's life.

Meanwhile she kept trying to contact her parents. She was never close with Charlie so that didn't hurt much but calling her mother only to find out Renée had changed her number hurt deeply.

Unknown to her though Alison was doing the same thing. And the blond girl did one thing Bella hadn't thought to do.

She called Charlie pretending to be a friend of Bella's from phoenix who only now returned to the country. When Charlie told her Bella had moved back with her mother, she pushed him to give her the correct number.

Renee rebutted Charlie's claims that their daughter lived with her but it didn't bother Alison. Instead she chatted Phil up and got him to contact Bella. After all it was his sudden jump to major leagues that had paid for the Preserve.

Alison learned how to become Fake-Alison pretending to be the real-Alison.

Bella got a friend in Phil behind Renee's back.

**Stage 4: Done!**


	4. Best laid plans

Chapter 4 - Best laid plans

After dinner on the Labor Day Alison convinced her new roommate to drink a cup of water with a lot of Bella's old sleep medicine. The moment the rail thin girl fell asleep Alison used the keys she'd stolen from the main office and exited the Preserve.

She didn't stay out to admire the clear skies instead she shot like an arrow to the passenger seat of a sleek black Cadillac.

"Where did you get this?"

She asked Bella who sat behind the wheel.

"Stole it for the day. Put gloves on"

"I ruined you"

Alison declared as nineteen year old Bella laughed and pushing pedal to the metal she drove fast to Pennsylvania and then to rosewood.

"Where is she?"

Alison said as she looked around. Everything was the same in rosewood. It was eerie.

"Sleepover at your neighbor's place. The one with the barn"

She informed. She had disguised herself as a caterer in the last party the Hastings, Ali's neighbors had thrown, and she had gotten a good feel of the land and the back roads and yards. Bella looked at the frightently calm and determined Alison

"Be careful or it's both our butts to jail"

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Alison followed her sister determined. She was going to get her life back. Courtney was running as if her life depended on it but working out for two hours everyday gave Alison the strength to follow alone.

Suddenly both sisters came upon a shocking spectacle. Their mother, Jessica DiLaurentis was playing the 'monster with two backs' in the back yard of the house with the barn.

"It's pretty shocking, huh?"

Courtney jerked her head up. A figure stood opposite her, shrouded in shadow. Her face was tilted toward the entwined couple in the Hastings' yard.

"Looks like our family tree has a lot of rotten apples"

The person said. Then she stepped into the light, and Courtney swallowed hard. It was her sister.

Both sisters gazed at each other sizing them up. Alison's eyes glinted. Her teeth glowed. Half her body was hidden in the mist, like she was a ghost. Courtney read her sister's eyes and knew she wouldn't win.

Courtney whipped around and began running to the house and the safety of their parents. Her twin caught her arm and dug her nails into her skin.

"You're not going anywhere, Courtney"

"Let go of me,"

Courtney said, trying to yank her arm away. But Alison's grip was firm.

"I'll scream"

Fake-Alison warned, fear rising in her voice. The real Alison chuckled.

"No, you won't. You won't say anything"

"Yes, I will. Mom and Dad will come running"

She insisted. Alison guffawed.

"Um, didn't you just see what I saw? Mom's a little busy right now"

"Then I'll call Dad"

Alison's smile stretched wider.

"He's out with Jason, remember? Father-son night out"

Alison hit her with the fact she knew their family's schedule. Courtney backed away, suddenly trembling. But Alison just pulled her back.

"Let go of me!"

Courtney exclaimed. Her arm was starting to sting from the pressure of her sister's fingernails, and her heart was beating so fast she thought it might explode in her chest. Her nostrils caught a whiff of strawberries and freesia. Someone was close!

"What are you doing out here?"

Courtney asked her sister. She was supposed to be locked up like she had been locked up in far too long. Ever since she realized that their parents didn't need another daughter and that she was the best daughter. When they were nine years old she had tried to kill her sister jealous that their parents loved Alison more. She had failed and gone to that hospital. Ever since she had plotted ways to be the one and only Alison DiLaurentis and had done it. She had switched places with the real Alison and she wasn't going to go back!

"You're going back 'Ali' and I'm reclaiming my life"

Alison announced before yanking her sister towards the car, where Bella waited.

"I'm not going anywhere"

She said, planting her feet in the wet, chilly grass. She laughed as confidently as she could.

"Do you really think it would be easy for you to step into my life and be me? I've done things you aren't capable of. I'm better at being you than you ever were"

"It's my life"

Her sister snarled, placing her hands firmly on Courtney's shoulders.

"You really think I'm going to have a hard time? I can even be friends with those stupid bitches, if that's what it takes. I can do this with my eyes closed"

"No, you can't. You don't know anything"

Alison snorted.

"Please. I read your diary — my diary. I know everything about them, about you. You put every secret in there, everything important"

"Not everything"

Courtney snapped.

"You certainly put in enough in your diary"

Alison taunted.

"That's how I figured out that we've been calling the wrong guy Dad. Watch where you store your secrets, Courtney. Anyone can open up a diary and find out all kinds of things. And now it's it me for you to say good bye"

She clamped down hard on Ali's shoulders and tried to steer her toward the car, but Courtney folded her body in half and twisted away. Alison grabbed her around the waist and yanked her across the grass, but Courtney stumbled, pulling her sister down with her.

"Get up, bitch!"

Alison yelled losing her patience.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Courtney pulled hard on her twin's hair and rolled over on top of Alison, pinning her onto the prickly grass. The old feelings rushed back — she was that little nine year old girl again, needing to prove to everyone that she was the rightful DiLaurentis daughter. The only one that should exist.

"I should have done this years ago. You HAVE to die"

She began hitting her sister, slapping her, pulling her hair. Alison was suddenly afraid freezing like she had done when her sister tried once again to kill her in the pool when they were kids. Back then she hoped Jason would save her. Now she placed all her hopes on Bella.

Like Dees-ex-machina Courtney suddenly slumped on her, Bella standing behind her holding the dart gun the guards at the Preserve used.

"What the hell happened?"

Bella grabbed Courtney and pushed her away from Alison whose eyes were glassy and was staring off to space just like Bella had for so long.

Bella acted like no one had acted with her. She slapped Alison. Hard.

"Ouch"

The girl with the torn and dirty black full body coveralls rubbed her cheek. When she saw Bella she jumped in her arms quickly filling her in on the events she missed. Bella shook her head when she was done

"It was taking too long and I knew something was wrong. I lost you both for a bit and then heard her say she was going to kill you"

Bella exclaimed. Both their gazes returned to the passed out Courtney.

"Come on, let's change you"

Together Bella and Alison stripped Courtney down to her underwear and quickly redressed her in Alison's clothing making sure to take her -A- ring and the bead bracelet that signified something horrible Courtney had done in her Alison guise.

"I'll take her back and you go home okay? Be as casual as possible and cover those bruises up"

Alison nodded trembling

"Don't leave me"

She whispered in Bella's hair as she hugged her tight. Bella shook her head

"I'll be back tomorrow and I'll find a way to meet you, okay? You're Alison and you're fabulous"

She reminded her of Alison's motto and watched as the blond girl carried her bruised and battered form to her house. Then she carried Courtney to the stolen car, stored her in the trunk and drove her back to the Preserve.

She barely had time to put her in her room and leave before the sun rose, the lights were on and the stuff was making their morning rounds.


	5. Seems they do know best!

Chapter 5 – Hmm. Maybe they do know best

Courtney woke up with a horrible headache. How much did she and the girls had to drink last night? Opening her eyes she remembered what had happened.

She and Spencer had gotten in a fight, she had left the sleepover, witnessed her mother meet with her lover who was also her bio-dad and was startled by her twin sister. She had tried to kill Alison but it didn't work.

She wasn't at home. Alison won. She had lost. She stood on shaky legs and with trembling hands she wrote a note on a clean piece of paper before grabbing a belt, looping it on the rack of the walk in closet, put it around her neck and took her life.

She had lost

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Alison sat gingerly at the breakfast table with her family. Her whole body ached but she hid it behind the bitchy mask her sister had created.

Her parents didn't see any difference and even sent her to school.

Alison DiLaurentis was back

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Bella was enjoying her first quiet day in a full year. After deposited Courtney she had returned to her motel, showered and slept and was now standing in a record store going through the various cds. She was rocking to the music blaring through her headphones when a hand touched her shoulders. Whirling around faster than her personal safety limit her eyes widening as she saw Alison's older brother before smiling.

"Hi"

"Hi"

Jason said.

"What are you doing here?"

He asked her. He had found her on purpose and had spent the whole morning berating him for not asking for her number all those months he visited Courtney at the Preserve.

"I'm checking colleges. After all the hype your family gave this place I thought I should look it up"

Jason smiled at her simple answer. He sobered knowing he was going to shock her

"Courtney's gone"

"Gone?"

Bella inquired

"She killed herself this morning. The stuff found her"

Bella's mouth popped open before big crocodile tears began falling from her eyes. Courtney was dead? Had she killed her and the Preserve covered it or had she only caused it? Jason pulled her in his arms letting her cry for he lost of her friend wishing he could cry too.

No one knew about Courtney in rosewood

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

That afternoon was a somber affair at the DiLaurentis house. They were mourning a daughter no one knew they had and they had decided to bury her under the gazebo. The workers would finish its structure the next day and it would provide them the best way to keep their daughter close while keeping her a secret.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

"How long are you staying in town?"

Jason asked over coffee a few days after the funeral. Bella shrugged

"I was thinking of going to college here. Why?"

"Then you're free for coffee, dinner, tour guide"

Jason trailed his eyes dancing like Alison's when she knows she's won. Bella smiled at the slightly older guy.

"Free as a bird"

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Bella and Alison sat together at the lawn of the DiLaurentis house. Officially they had agreed to try and get to know each other 'to honor fake-Alison who was supposedly Bella's best friend'

In reality they basked in the afternoon sun.

They had won. They had overcome the reasons they were put in the Preserve of Addison Steven's and they had each other.

"Success"

The End 


End file.
